Germany stresses Syria’s territorial integrity after Israel's seizure of Golan buffer zone

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) – Germany on Monday issued a warning against “questioning” Syria’s territorial integrity, just hours after Israel’s military seized control of a demilitarized buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights.

Germany does not recognize Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a press briefing in Berlin, saying: “Under international law, the area controlled by Israel belongs to Syria.”

Deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann added that Germany is “very closely” monitoring the latest developments in the Golan Heights.

“Basically, the federal government has in the past called on all forces involved in the region to de-escalate, and we continue to do so,” she said.

On Sunday, the Israeli army imposed “closed military zones” in Syria’s occupied Golan Heights following the sudden fall of the Assad regime.

In response to military concerns about potential infiltration of armed groups, the Israeli army deployed additional forces along the buffer zone separating Syria and the occupied Golan Heights.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus early Sunday, signaling the collapse of the Baath Party regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.

This followed the seizure of Aleppo, a major northern Syrian city, by anti-regime groups nearly a week earlier.